Differential gene expression in two consecutive pregnancies between same sex siblings and implications on maternal constraint

The objective of this study was to investigate how placental gene expression differs in two consecutive pregnancies in same sex siblings, and its possible association with the “maternal constraint” hypothesis. Material was gathered from the BASIC study (Biological, Affect, Stress, Imaging, and Cognition in Pregnancy and the Puerperium), a population based prospective study that was started in 2009 in Uppsala. Over 900 specimens of placenta biopsies were collected and out of these 10 women gave birth twice, to the same sex child, and were included in this study. The total RNA was isolated and prepared from frozen villous tissue from the placenta and further analyzed by use of Ion AmpliSeq Human Transcriptome Gene Expression kit. A total of 234 genes differed significantly between the first and second pregnancy placentas, when adjusting for delivery mode, maternal BMI and gestational age. Of special interest was the down-regulated group of genes in the second pregnancy. Exemplified by Pentraxin 3, SRY-Box Transcription Factor 9, and Serum Amyloid A1, which all were associated with biological processes involved in the immune system and inflammation. Further, protein–protein interaction analysis visualized them as hub genes interacting with several of the other differentially expressed genes. How these altered gene expressions affect maternal constraint during pregnancy needs further validation in lager study cohorts and also future validation in functional assays.